Shake it Off Betty, Shake it Off
by dreammaker-heartbreaker
Summary: After Betty's first week at mode, her boss's incompetence has secured her a late Friday night in the city. After a broken down elevator and an insightful insight to Daniel's life, will things change for our favourite Queen's girl? *Based on the song Shake it Off by Taylor Swift...I don't own any of the lyrics or references...I just really love the song.*


Daniel and Betty had survived their first week together in their working relationship. Betty was understandably exhausted by the trials and tribulations her new boss had put her through and quite frankly, he was exhausted for the thinking of them. Due to the distractions the first week had brought them, Daniel was behind on his deadlines and had recruited Betty to work late on her first Friday night.

After the last article was proof read and the last e-mail sent, they switched off their computers and made their way to the elevators.

"Uh, thank you Betty, you saved my ass tonight." He said with unusual gratitude she had yet to hear from her new boss.

"It's what I'm here for." She gave her usual chirpy smile while an awkward silence fell over them as the elevator was rising to their floor.

The bell pinged and they both entered, Betty pushed the button for the ground floor and they both leant on opposite walls waiting for the descent.

They had been lowered for only a few floors when the lights flickered and they came to a complete albeit bumpy stop.

"You've got to be kidding me?!" Daniel offered while Betty tried to calmly reach for the service phone to call security.

"It's ok, Jake from security is great. He'll let us out." She held the phone to her ear, "He'll pick up now...where is he?... Oh my god, he's not answering...Jake? Jake? Oh my god I can't breathe." She began to hyperventilate as the phone fell out of her hand and dangled from its cord.

"Ok, ok" he rushed to her side and after being unsure of where to put his hands, placed them on either shoulder and told her to breathe, "Breathe. In through the nose, out through the mouth." She began to calm herself a little bit and reached for her trusty inhaler.

"Thank you, sorry, I get a little panicked when I'm in enclosed spaces."

"That's ok. It's what I'm here for." She tittered at his use of her own words and was just about changing her perception of her new boss when he said, "I've got a dawn date! He better not be too long." He reached for the phone and pressed the receiver multiple times but eventually gave up.

"He must be in the bathroom or something. He won't be too long."

"How can you be sure?"

"I can't but otherwise you're gonna break the phone."

He gave up and replaced it on its holder and resumed his position at the other side of the elevator.

"What's a dawn date?" Betty asked against her better judgement.

"Mm?" he was snapped out of his reverie, "Oh, I'm too busy during the day, I book dates at dawn to get around that so people don't talk."

"What do you mean talk?"

"Well going at that time there's no risk of seeing my father or anyone I know out in the city." She pondered this for a second and was about to reply but he spoke before she had the chance. "I stay up too late, I've got nothing in my brain. I know that's what people say."

"Who says that?"

"My family mostly, so I try to do things in secret otherwise they tell me; I go on too many dates, but I can't make them stay. I know that's what they say, but I keep cruising I can't stop and won't stop. It's like I've got this music in my mind saying it's gonna be alright."

"Well, players are gonna play." She said with a hint of derision.

"And haters are gonna hate." He retorted with slight malice, "But you've just got to shake it off."

"Shake it off?"

"Shake it off."

"Sometimes, that's easier said than done."

"What do you mean?"

Since he had offered a sincere insight to his personal she thought it would only be fair to do the same.

"I dunno, just since I started here people judge me, and judge me hard. Present company not excluded. They don't know what I can do; I never miss a beat, I'm lighting up my feet and that's what they don't see. I mean it's like I'm dancing on my own, making moves up as I go. That's what they don't know. And like you said, I've got this music, in my mind saying it's going to be alright."

"And the players are gonna play?"

"I'm not a player! But yeah, and the haters are gonna hate." She said smiling at their own symmetry, "So I guess I just got to shake it off?"

"Shake it off." He thought for a moment, "Listen, we work in an industry that's built on judgement, we literally sell books that are designed to be judged by their covers. You've just got to rise above it." She was impressed with his depth and had never seen him be so considered let alone civilised to her. "Just think if you're spending your time getting down and out about the liars and dirty cheats of this world, where could you be if you just shake it off?"

She considered his words over in her mind and thought of the time she had spent over the past week being down about the comments Amanda and Mark made, the looks from Wilhelmina and the ridiculous tasks the man in front of her made her do, but realised that he had a point. She needed to rise above it and prove to them all that she could shake it off and be the best.

The lights flashed and the room began to move again.

"Thank god." Daniel said, "I need to get a few hours sleep in before I meet up with Destiny."

"Destiny?" she couldn't hide the judgement in her voice.

"Destiny." He said ignoring it and flashing a playful glint in his eye. They left the elevator and were met with an over apologetic Jake who Daniel reprimanded accordingly and they both left the building into the crisp New York air.

"S o I guess I'll see you on Monday." She offered tightening her scarf around her neck.

"Yeah and can you make sure that my Starbucks is at its optimum temperature by the time I'm in my office. Not sure what time that will be, just make it happen" and he stepped into his luxury town car while she was left to ponder the seemingly impossible task. As the car pulled away from the curb, she watched it go, shook her head and told herself;

"Shake it off Betty. Shake it off."


End file.
